I’ve read Atul Gawande’s other books Complications, Better, and Being Mortal. This books title had me intrigued. It seemed like quite a departure from his normal topic.

But as is normal with this author, he delivered a fascinating story.

He’s a surgeon but he also has a very pleasant way of explaining complex ideas. He keeps his words plain English enough that you don’t get lost in medical jargon, but it’s still detailed enough to fulfill most of your esoteric medical reading needs.

One of the things I very much enjoy about his work is how he likes to go back and give things a historical perspective. In this case he takes us back to shortly before World War II to discover the origin of the checklist.

I’m sure like most people nowadays, you use checklists for something or another every day.

I know on my phone there’s a special little app just for making checklists. This has saved me from forgetting important things numerous times. Like getting that ice cream that’s on sale.

As a pilot I rely on checklists frequently to help prod my memory. It’s very easy in stressful situations to overlook even the most important steps. Inasmuch as aviation has been using checklists for as long as I can remember, I found it interesting that this wasn’t always the case.

I was even more surprised to find out how slowly checklists were incorporated into the surgical environment.

Gawande gives us a wonderful insight into the increasingly complex world of modern medicine. He takes us along the journey of how he was involved with the implementation of checklists in the operating room. He relates firsthand the challenges and difficulties he encountered with this revolutionary idea.

You feel like you’re fighting the battle along with him. It’s very engaging to read. And also, a bit of a nail biter. Because of the resistance he encountered, you’re never quite sure if his ideas will be fully implemented.

I especially like the section where they talk about who should be the caretaker of the precious checklist. I won’t spoil the surprise for you. But it illustrates the importance of every single person in the surgical suite.

This book was released in 2011 and since then I have read it numerous times. Even though I know how it ends, it’s still a fascinating history.